


A Soul as Black as Blood

by Gotten



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Angst, Black Blood, Insanity, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:24:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gotten/pseuds/Gotten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Kishin awakened Soul knew things would become more difficult as insanity infected the land and tormented those weak to it. What he hadn't expected was the affects the pulses of insanity would have on himself nor what they would reveal to him about both him and the Kishin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fear and Delight by Consternation

It had been about two weeks since the party, when the Kishin was awaken and madness truly began to descend onto the world. Luckily they had managed to save Chrono from insanity so even though they had failed it wasn't a total waste, they still did something pretty cool. I could hear Maka in the kitchen making breakfast, and the water running in the bathroom which meant that Blair was taking a bath, so I wouldn't be able to get in until after breakfast. Shaking off my night shirt I opened one of the drawers to grab a shirt and pants when I felt a wave of madness sweeping over my soul, it was banging right against the very core of it and I felt a rush of vertigo sweep over me and I had to grab the drawer to prevent myself from sliding to the ground as my legs felt like they were about to be swept from under me similar to the riptide at a beach.  
"Soul come out breakfast is ready!" I heard her through the door and for a moment I could almost imagine I was in my weapon form synchronizing with her like when we are fighting against witches centering me as I waited for  the madness to leave.  
"Coming! Just give me a minute to slip on some cooler clothes!" I doubt she know just how much she saves me, if I had faced the Kishin alone their is no doubt that I'd ended up consumed by that initial wave of madness, years of madness was released, luckily most of the students and faculty where still locked inside of the spatial magic so they only received the minimal levels of madness. It was a miracle of itself that no one down there was driven insane by it. But now he had to get up and go have breakfast with Maka, she already worries about me enough and I would be a horrible weapon if I brought this up, she has finally stopped beating herself up over losing against the Kishin to bring up something that made it seem that he was being tortured to madness like Stein would just make her start up again, and I'm not so weak to fall against my own madness.

Right Maka?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today Stein was having spar practices between students today, he seemed to be almost nonchalant about everything, the only sign of any stress was his increase in smoke breaks which meant that most times outside of class you would find him with a cigarette and the almost unnerving lack of dissections he now has during class to combat any of the insane urges getting a foothold. Not that I'm complaining though it's nice to have some classes without any animals being traumatized as their insides were opened and sewed shut again.  
"Alright, Soul and Maka you'll be fighting against Oxford and Harvar. I doubt that I need to remind you that this is a spar and not an actual fight so any killing blows are forbidden, you'll be fighting each other solely through your skills as weapon and meister." as Stein spoke he signaled for both teams to go towards the opposite ends of the mat and to transform. "The first team to have the other admit defeat or lose consciousness wins, begin." This was going to be easy, while they were good enough fighters Oxford was better at studying then fighting and was way to rigid in his style if he was to beat them. As Maka spun me around I reached out to fall in sync with her soul, I wouldn't ever tell her this but when ever we resonance like this was often one of the only times I felt truly at peace, she was calming willing to reach out to match my own twists and quirks of my soul like a cold towel on a hot day she helped to ease the chinks from where my soul would end up grating against it self as I'd work to keep the darker impulses under control. She was a good meister and I had no doubt that she would one day surpass her mother as a meister one day, even now in this spar I could see how skilled she was. She wasn't even completely serious with him, blocking the stronger blows and dodging the rest as she launched her own attacks, battering against his defenses waiting for the opening to strike. I've been her partner long enough to know almost all of her fighting styles, she'd test out the enemy for the first few blows like with Oxford now, sensing their strengths and weaknesses before launching an attack to disrupt their flow and then using that break to attack through their defenses. Just what was happening now, when it happened she had gotten through and knocked him down with the dull side of my blade and was about to lay the finishing move when I felt it rushing through me. The madness of the Kishin it was significantly weaker inside of the academy,but the rush of madness was significantly stronger then before even inside of the DWMA, making me feel light headed as it battered against my very soul. I returned to my human form it reached its peak and for a moment all I could feel was a rush of vertigo. I immediately began to stumble towards the nearest bathroom as I could feel myself becoming sick as my own soul rebelled against the madness and worked to right it self. I barely manage to make it in one of the stalls and lock it behind me before I spew into the toilet. It felt like ages before I finally felt my stomach being to calm down, what I saw when I looked down almost scared me as much as the Kishin itself. The toilet almost looked like a dimension of hell with black blood inside and turning the water into a murky black void.  
"Hey Soul, are you in here! Stein sent me to come check on you. You aren't feeling sick, are you?" it was Black Star he had come in probably to make sure I was alright, I grimaced at the taste of the left over blood in my mouth and spat out what I could into the toilet before flushing it. Stepping out of the stall I walked to the sink a turned it on to wash out the rest of the taste. As I turned off the sink I turned towards Black Star "Hey, I'm good now."  
A look of worry appeared on his face "Are you sure man you looked pretty pale, but I guess compared to me the greatest star of all everybody does!" I force a chuckle and punch him in the shoulder jokingly "I'm fine now, it just must have been some bad take out or something we should hurry back to class, before Maka starts to think were skipping or something." As we walked back inside I could see Maka checking me over worryingly as Stein turned towards us from the referee post of the mat. "Soul I hope your feeling better but if you begin to feel sick again go to the nurses office, we don't want to infect anyone with the flu. But do make sure to come here after class I need to talk to you about something."  
Nodding I moved to sit besides Maka and Black Star, while the remaining fights began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"See you at home Soul."

"Catch you later!"

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye guys, don't worry this won't take long. Stein probably just wants to talk about some extra lessons or something." as I waved them off I turned to head back to Steins office, while I wondered what he could want to talk about. Stein is pretty cool so I doubt it is about any of the minor rule violations him and Black Star do, maybe it was about Maka or he actually wanted to discuss some new extra curricular items. As I opened the door and stepped inside I could see him leaning back in his chair with a cigarette already lit in his hand. "Professor Stein, you wanted to see me." as I walked in front of the desk he stubbed out the cigarette which I was thankful for as smoking was stupid and definitely not cool. He sat up and began to speak "This is about earlier today Soul, your soul was one of the few that had direct contact with the Kishin when it awakened, and I'm thinking that because of how it came into contact with your soul with years of repressed madness through that wave that these waves of madness being sent out are only going to worsen as the its strength returns." Stiffing from this my first thought was of Chrona and his own black blood "Sir, wouldn't the same occur with Chrona then his blood is entirely black. And what does this mean for me then, am I going to end up succumbing to the madness as it slowly takes over because I won't let that happen!" As I spoke I began to feel frantic and I could hear it creeping slightly into my voice as I remember the madness that almost swallowed me when me and Maka saved Chrona and the devil waiting inside of that room as a shudder began to creep along my spine. Stein raised his hands almost as if he was calming a frightened animal instead of a student of the DWMA "Easy Soul, you aren't going to fall to madness, you have friends to help you and the staff here, my self included to aide you. Chrona is a special case because of how you and Maka saved him from the madness it calmed his soul so that he received only the minimum of affects of the Kishins madness, plus he was farther away then you all so it was a weaker echo of the blast you all received. My point is that until your soul stabilizes I can't send you out on any missions and you're going to need to try and stay close to Maka your relationship with her is similar to mine and Maries she'll help to center you and reduce the pull. That's all Soul, you don't have to worry I know you and you aren't weak enough to fall prey to something like this, just take things easy and you'll be fine before you know it." I guess I was in shock for a moment their, the thought of becoming insane and losing myself was terrifying, I don't really know how I got home I just know I left his office and then entering the house. I know I should tell her about this but for now I need to get my head straight, so I can keep her from freaking out as her weapon it's my duty to.


	2. Demon Kitty Rag by Katzenjammer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that story I was aiming to keep a schedule on, It's burning down in flames, so I'm updating what I like when I like cause planning and keeping to that is dumb. (as life has taught me)

 I opened the front door and saw her shoes in the rack, which immediately came off as strange. Maka has always been the type to be rather picky with her missions, she doesn't show it but I can tell that unless she is ordered she'd rather have those of the highest level she can reach with what ever is her current ranking then what ever missions happen to be left hanging on the board, she always liked the extra challenges knowing her it she probably saw it as a way of comparing her current growth rate to what ever level her mother was at.

I slipped off my own shoes and placed them in the spot next to hers before I spoke "Hey what are you doing here Maka? Registration for a mission takes at least half and hour."

As I spoke I closed the front door behind me, and walked into the living room to see her sitting on the couch.

"Soul, why didn't you tell me?" She looked so small and vulnerable right then, it reminded me of when I got that scar, and became infected with the black blood she looked like it was all her fault, like she was doing everything wrong, she never even considered blaming me for any of it.

The dread from those words instantly flooded to me, and I recalled Steins words at the meeting, I knew I needed to at least let her know that it wasn't her, that I made a mistake, I opened my mouth hoping to get some excuse out to stop her from sinking back into those feelings, "Maka I-." God damn it, of all the times for an attack, the pulses had been coming on all of the last three weeks since the first time, Stein had been right in the beginning Maka helped even if we weren't synced for battle I could still feel the weak wavelengths by our bond, and they kept me from having to run out to the bathroom throwing up anymore black blood, but by the second week it almost felt like they had changed and instead of barging against his soul they were launching at it's base pulling up unreasonable feelings that were random as they were unprovoked, going from fear, to paranoia, to anxiety, like they were trying to pick at his soul and were alternating the tools till they had found the best one. This one was different, new, and as I could feel my heart begin to increase in rate, I had realized what it was, anger. I had bent forward some where during this, and she was obviously concerned since she was now standing up and reaching out to grab me. "Shut up and Listen!" the voice that had come out was loud, it caused me to jump up and I wanted to look behind me to see who was speaking  when it spoke again I wanted to punch whoever was making her look so sad and hurt. "You wanted me to what!? Come crawling over to you let you in on the big dark secret? You really wanted to know about something you couldn't change?" She looked like a small child, trying to fight back those tears, tears I swore to help prevent, I was her partner, her friend. Damn it I gritted my teeth and wanted to punch whoever was making her look like that. She opened her mouth, probably to say something about how awesome she was as a partner, that she would want to help in any way she could. "I don-" 

"I thought I told you to be quiet! I'm not finished. But hey sure go ahead, say what you wanted, deny the truth and put up some meager little lies that make you feel SO much better about yourself get to silence anything I REALLY feel with your loud, obnoxious, and condescending voice."

She finally couldn't hold those tears in, and they were rolling down her face "When we both know that you enjoy this, knowing that I'm weak to, that this strength you were so envious of in your own partner wasn't really there. That I'm  vulnerable to something, something you caused, cause lets be honest here Maka, unless you got a soul fucked up like Steins, the madness can't do this sort of shit easily, you have to have something helping out." I could feel the vibrations from the words in my own chest, hitting like a knife cause no one else knew this stuff, the only person besides her, was me. That voice was my own. "Like Medusas black blood, and who do we have to thank for that? I mean we both know she invented the damn thing but even she the sick witch that she was hadn't planned to use it on me, that only happened since you are to weak of a meister!" The sheer shock on her face made me want to go over there hug her, tell her that what I had said were lies, cause they were, she wouldn't ever do stuff like that. It felt like my body and mind were being run by to separate people, I could feel my feet pick up and set down as I stepped forward, but for the life of me I couldn't stop them. I had moved until I was right in front of her, getting to see the tear marks, bloodshot eyes and hearing every heart wrenching sob, I wanted to hug her, tell her that I was wrong, that voice was wrong, how she was one of the best meisters ever, and this wasn't her fault I was mentally pulling on my arms trying to pull them towards her to at least wipe one of the tears off, when it pulled back, she looked up at me and all I my strength in resisting froze at the miserable look she gave me when she began to stutter out apologies. I almost felt numb as my arm continued to lift up and only felt a slight familiar twinge as it transformed into my scythes blade, no. No. what ever that cold, and detached voice wanted with my blade and Maka I wasn't going to sit by and let it happen. She was still standing there frozen in shock, I was screaming yet no matter how hard I tried to get the arm back down, to tell her to move, run, anything. Nothing was happening, I could feel the muscles tense up as they pulled back, I could no longer hear Maka's sobs and apologizes only the constant beat of my heart and I could almost imagine the sounds of the waves of madness thudding against my soul. My blade then moved forward aiming right for her head. When all of a sudden it was knocked off by a knife, one that I knew instantly Mira, and when Mira was in weapon form, that meant Sid was close by and on cue he appeared, Maka was breathing heavy and she had a long line bleeding on her cheek from where I had scratched her, as I watched the blood flow down it felt like whatever was controlling my body was letting go, as they slowly went down to my sides, I couldn't look away from her, the fear in her eyes, the wound I had caused, how I had tried to kill her and if Mira and Sid hadn't come in I probably would have. It felt like someone punched a bunch of holes in my chest and everything keeping me up was falling out. Along with the sudden anger that had been battering my soul. Someone grabbed my hand and instinctively I flinched only to turn and see that it was Sid. "Kid, calm down I need you to revert that arm back now." Surprised I looked down to see it still there I couldn't see the blood but I knew if I looked hard enough I'd find it. This time it easily went back and I felt irritated that it did that I wanted it to struggle, be as difficult as then, cause if it was this easy now, did that mean I just wasn't trying then? He slowly reached down to grab the other hand almost like he was afraid I'd try to run or attack if he went any faster. "Sid, I'll look after Maka, you should take him over to Death, and Stein." She was holding her it looked like she had torn off a piece of her bandages to press against the scratch, and was moving her back towards that couch, that's good he proved already that he shouldn't be near her at least until they figured out what had happened to cause the madness to make this sort of reaction. She needed to be kept as far away as possible so what ever caused this didn't get a second chance. When Sid put his hand on my shoulder I realized I was shaking as he led me out.


	3. Alice Francis -" St. James Ballroom"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So ya Soul can be seen as Oc here in beginning, but you got to take in the shock, plus unmentioned weeks of stress (which I'll elaborate on later on) with this, and having hurt Maka. I'm aiming to show him being in shock more but if I do it poorly I want to make sure readers know that I didn't just make him act like this for no reason.

It had been a long walk, and by the time we both arrived at the DMW any shakes could be taken for cold, my feet were aching though and had long gone numb, Sid had offered to go back so I could grab some shoes and a jacket, but refused we were already halfway there, and I didn't want to see Maka like that. We finally climbed the last few steps up and Sid seemed to be caught between saying something and getting me inside, he had turned around to look at me and opened his mouth, before he could have said anything though another voice spoke "Soul, you can come in now, and Sid you should go back to Myra you both have a mission so you'll be leaving early tomorrow." Stein walked out into moonlight, leaving space for me to pass through in the doorway. It would be better to just do what he said, if they could figure out what was going on and stop it I wanted it to happen sooner rather then later so I could go back and apologize to Maka without worrying about snapping at her. The walk to deaths office was silent, and it wasn't until he had pushed open the door and called out to Death announcing their arrival that he said anything. Luckily Spirit wasn't here so I managed to avoid him trying to strangle me or something. If it wasn't for the atmosphere that was heavy you'd think it was some tea party they had set up tea and food. I just sat down on one side of the couch and waited for Death to start talking. "Tea? Cake? I managed to get some really nice things earlier today." I just shook my head in refusal while Stein sat down on the other side and struck up a cigarette. In a way it was funny to see Death's reactions how he could manage that high pitched voice, while sighing. "Honestly, I expected the first case of madness that would have happened in my city to have been yours Stein." I could feel my hands clenching over that how once again I failed to be better or equal then somebody else. Stein just puffed out a breath of smoke and said "I've been dealing with my own madness for years, I know how to monitor my condition, and what steps to take to keep any incidents from occurring when I feel the madness begin to affect me." Death turned to look at me and for a moment I thought he was going to drop into his actual voice "I see, then Soul I give you my sincerest apologies I treated you badly and didn't take any steps to help you with the illusions, or madness, I am the one who is at fault for what happened earlier, if I noticed that you who were probably feeling the affects of madness for the first time was different from Steins who has the experience on it I'd have been able to avoid this mess entirely." I knew I should have said something in response to that, how it wasn't entirely his fault, that I should have had better control, but I couldn't help considering the fact I somehow overlooked, if this was a test I would have flunked it worst then Blackstar, we all had a basic lesson on madness's affects they gave it when the Kishin was freed to the entire student body, so anyone could know if they were under its affects and seek help, illusions, they were one of the most basic things a dead giveaway to madness I hadn't had one. So I just nodded to Death and turned towards Stein, it felt weird to address him like this but I knew that his sensitivity to madness wasn't something I could go just bring up easily. "Professor, what is it like for you when you get a wave of madness?" he didn't seem affected only quirked an eyebrow from my phrasing. "Most of the time I don't notice if I have something distracting me, or something to focus on, but when I'm alone and only have my own thoughts to reflect on it starts, I'll get an urge to satisfy any curiosity I have on something, resistance promotes the next step which will normally be illusions, stereo typically being eyes which increase the feelings of paranoia, anxiety, fear, I keep it from progressing into maniac moodswings, and loss of morality though by finding something to bring me back to the present situation, a conversation, work, an experiment." his only visible response to the subject was the heavier drag he took on the cigarette when he finished. But I couldn't help finding his and mine situations being different as his response to madness was so different to mine "Professor I haven't had any illusions, no eyes, no voices, nothing, after the first week the only thing that happened was the waves of madness switched to bouts of hysteria and stuff normal emotions to be created by madness, I assumed that this was only from the Kishin getting stronger, but today it was rage, and different, most of the time, I'd get caught in the emotions they'd start off out of nowhere and just feed off of me, but this. This one it didn't even feel like my own emotions, I was moving but it wasn't me an-" I was shocked out of thought when my head was jerked up to stare right in the face of death, somewhere along the line I had been staring at my feet, and my hands were aching from how tightly they were clenched. "Soul, I need you to calm down for a moment, I know you refused earlier but please drink some tea get your thoughts in order." "Alright." I could see Stein staring at me and for it felt like he could see the wavering in my soul, I mean I betrayed my partner, harmed her, he could see souls so could he see that, the stain soaking into it? I tried to get my mind off of that by reaching for one of the tea glasses, it was still warm, it felt good unclenching one of my hands to grab it yet I couldn't focus enough to attempt getting it to do the same, and just made sure my hands weren't doing something uncool like shaking while I drank some. The only sound in the room was Steins deep breaths as he puffed on the cigarette, I was amazed it hadn't gone out already, but the sound made me realize how awkward it was in here and having two guys wait on me just to get my head straight was definitely uncool. So I forced myself to put back down the glass and stared at Death waiting for one of them to speak. This time it was Stein "Soul, you haven't had any delusions?" I shook my head to confirm it. "And exactly a week later on the symptoms changed, yes? Then this question is very important Soul I know it sounds odd but I need to know you describe them as waves of madness, do they pull you towards it or push?"Push or pull, in all honesty they were so powerful it felt like both, the push of wave getting me under, loosing my place then the pull of force dragging me out to sea losing all footing, and getting completely lost. But he wanted one or the other. So push or pull. "Pull, that's what gets me." I must have said it way to quiet cause Steins response was to only ask me to repeat myself "I feel a pull, like when you have a sand castle and you built it to close to water so when ever the waves reach it the water tears off a piece." and as each section of base is pealed away more of the castle falls with it. I didn't want to ramble on though so I kept the last part in my head. They both were quiet after that and I began to wonder what was so important about a push or pull I mean both led you to the same place. I don't really see why which force matters. Death was the one to break the silence "Good news then! Stein has the same type right? So he'll be able to give you a few pointers but until then I suggest staying here, we're certain to have attracted some attention with this stunt, and I don't want any witches going after you while we are working this whole thing out so hey why don't you stay in a room near Chronas' for now, alright?" I just nodded and got up to walk out before pausing outside the door to listen in, the need to know what was going to happen next compelled me to stay.  Death's was easy to hear his high tone carried across the room "You've mentioned that before that theory, something about the innate traits in a person if they can be categorized enough to border on madness will pull them towards it, while a push comes from the madness will be it trying to warp some ideas and characteristics so they will become susceptible." I could barely hear him but I could just make out Steins voice from behind the door, I didn't know why I was so desperate to listen when all they talked about only made me want to run out and fight try to prove that I wasn't like that, how I may have some problems but I wouldn't just turn on everyone. Yet when Stein spoke I strained to hear what he said. "It would seem that the black blood had more of a affect then thought, if it magnified some traits enough to get him to feel a pull instead of a push. We'll need to keep him in the city where your defenses are negating most of the madness, at least until we can find a proper way to counteract the madness for him since it seems that his and Makas bond will have changed from this, it'll be shaken and I can't say if Maka will be capable to trust Soul enough to maintain their bond from this occurrence." I felt like I was breathing but none of the air was actually doing me any good, it'd come into my lungs but each breath felt like I was just holding it in, while my head was pounding from what this could mean for me and Maka, despite what Stein said she was his partner he'd never harm her, but he had just done that, gone against the faith they placed in each other. How could she trust him if he already proved at how he would betray that trust? Besides he wouldn't be able to get out for what looked like months just getting some basic self control pushing back Makas dream and making it even harder for her.

"I'm aware that Sid and Myra had to step in when he tried to hurt her, Spirit was unfortunately in the room when I got the report from them, it took more then a few Death chops to get him to leave, he didn't try anything did he? We already have proof that Soul may be unstable a fight could push him over the edge again and I was worried he would have rushed over before I could contact you." That had him worried, or at least aware, he wasn't normally afraid of Spirit but he also never had a real reason to be, the man was a death scythe, he proved just how capable of one he was, and he had been in the room when the message was sent, he could feel the panic rising and barely managed to push it off, Spirit would probably try to attack him as soon as he saw him unless he managed to convince him that what had happened wasn't something that he would ever do willingly. Yet deep in his chest the feeling of some morbid satisfaction lingered crawling up his throat to leave a bitter taste in his mouth, it brought up all the issues, arguments, and annoyances that he had with her, so it felt like the memories were being corrupted trying to tell him that little arguments and some old fashioned teasing were appropriate things to do.

"Ya, I met Spirit when I was going down to meet them, it seemed like he was planning to catch Soul on his way out so I had to threaten him away. There is one thing I find disconcerting in Souls story though." 

He was only half listening by now to caught up from the thoughts of all the the times Maka mocked him, was unreasonably pissy, or just started to yell at him for something stupid, he knew it was all reasonable stuff they lived together arguments happened with roommates, and no one was going to understand everything about the other and why they would or wouldn't do something but it felt like a weak argument to him like it had so many flaws he could almost knock it over with one word.

"Oh, whats that?"

He could remember the moment before the argument tonight, how he had been trying to mention it in a way that wouldn't start a fight or get her to start doubting herself, it was always so much effort maintain that balance with her, letting her get to decide things but keeping in enough input that she didn't end up overlooking the most mundane stuff, she had done that repeatedly make a plan for a mission only to over think and end up draining herself with the all nighters of planning and training, so when she got to the actual mission it'd end a failure cause she couldn't recognize her own weaknesses. Every mission he had to figure out a way to keep her from repeating those stupid mistakes luckily after five different failures she took to heart the sleeping and eating requirements. But it was up to him to act like the parent and get her to decide on a place to stay if it is a long distance mission, or decide the right amount of cash for the trip to much and she felt greedy to little and she ended up complaining the whole time. So this time tonight at least he avoided the whole fiasco of it, a petty comfort but he couldn't help the guilty need to find something better about the situation.

"He said that he was feeling these episodes throughout the last two weeks he stated something about the emotions starting out of nowhere, I'm particularly concerned with the latest one, an emotion caused by the Kishin wouldn't normally be anger, that is a difficult emotion with two many complex reasons to truly start, bloodlust, psychotic rage, things like that would be easy but, true and unprovoked anger however, would be harder to bring up almost impossible, which causes my real worry, the Kishin can only increase and amplify emotions, not create something like that without any trigger already being set off. Which might mean that their partnership was problematic before this, and it may mean that they were going to fall out of resonance soon anyway. I'd suggest we start to consider finding Soul and Maka different partners."

He barely caught the words being spoken so consumed by the thoughts in his mind as they started to try and poke the embers from earlier to see if they had any heat left in them to restart the sudden fiery rage that consumed him but those words drained that emotion straight out of him and let him regain his head, Stein was right he was way to vulnerable to the madness and he needed to start taking steps now. And walking away before the thought of being taken from his partner, despite the current problems wouldn't help him, he just had to prove that he could resist this, grow past it, and move on. If he was going to do this he needed to do his best and staying up here putting off sleep would make him tired and irritable so he wanted to make an effort. Prove he could be cool. The thought of Maka no longer being his partner made his stomach clench and curl, while he became conscious of his own breath and heart at the idea of being forced to go against the Kishin alone, he needed a partner as pathetic as it may be he wasn't skilled enough to fight alone well, yet as he walked away out of hearing of the conversation he failed to notice the smile that had began to grow on his face, pulling at the ends of his mouth in response to the thought of getting away from Maka and ultimately one step farther from the academy.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've ended up with a huge writers block on the chapter I'm working on in the other story at the moment so I'm going to be working on this off and on until it passes. I don't have a Beta to check stuff so let me know if something is misspelled.


End file.
